On June 15, 2024, the Third Graduate Student Academic Forum of the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre was successfully held. With the theme International Organizations and Global Educational Governance, this forum included four sessions: thematic exchange, keynote speeches, eight parallel forums, and the Shicheng Interview, attended by approximately 70 teachers and students from both inside and outside the university.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was held on the morning of June 15 at Shicheng Lecture Hall on the 2nd floor of the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre. Attendees included Professor Huang Haitao, Dean of the School of Education at Shanghai Normal University; Professor Wang Jie, Deputy Director of the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre and Vice Dean of the Institute of International and Comparative Education at Shanghai Normal University; Associate Professor Song Jia, Secretary of the Party Branch of the Institute of International and Comparative Education at Shanghai Normal University; Associate Professor Yan Wenle, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Comparative Education; Associate Professor Liu Huacong from the School of Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and Assistant Professor Zheng Gaoming from the Institute of Higher Education at Tongji University. The ceremony was hosted by Qin Zhilian, President of the Student Union of the Institute of International and Comparative Education at Shanghai Normal University. Professor Huang Haitao and Professor Wang Jie delivered welcome speeches for the forum and shared messages with graduate students.
Keynote Speeches
In the keynote speech session, Ma Xiaoxiao, a PhD candidate from Zhejiang University, delivered a speech titled Institutional Changes and Logic of UNESCO’s Promotion of Open Science: A Historical Institutionalism Perspective. She analyzed the institutional changes and logic behind UNESCO’s promotion of open science, offering new insights into global governance of open science. Zhao Menglong, a PhD candidate from Nanjing Normal University, spoke on Beyond Equality: Origins, Discourse and Paths of International Actions for Gender Equality in Education, exploring the historical evolution, focus shifts, conceptual innovations, discourse reshaping, promotion mechanisms, and key areas of international actions for gender equality in education led by UNESCO and other international organizations. Zhou Yi, a PhD candidate from Xiamen University, delivered a speech entitled How Do International Higher Education Quality Assurance Organizations Participate in Global Risk Governance? — An Investigation Based on Risk Society Theory, analyzing the key motivations and practical logic of international higher education quality assurance organizations in participating in global risk governance. Lin Jie, a PhD candidate from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, presented Towards World-Class: An Empirical Analysis of the International Status of China’s Life Sciences and Medicine Disciplines, constructing a high-precision evaluation index system for world-class disciplines in life sciences and medicine, analyzing gaps between China and other countries, and putting forward operable suggestions. Wang Chao, a PhD candidate from Shanghai Normal University, spoke on Datafied Teachers and Teachers’ Datafication: Teacher Image and Generative Logic in Modern Teacher Evaluation, depicting the image of datafied teachers, explaining the process and dilemmas of teachers’ datafication, and proposing specific suggestions for datafied evaluation to empower teachers’ subjective development.
The discussion and exchange session was conducted in a face-to-face format. First, Teacher Liu Huacong provided comprehensive and in-depth guidance to each speaker. Second, Teacher Zheng Gaoming further put forward inspiring suggestions on each paper. Finally, Teacher Yan Wenle, from the perspective of a journal editor, offered practical advice on academic research to all graduate students.
Parallel Forum Reports
The parallel forum session was held offline, where 8 commenting experts and 56 speaking students focused on 8 topics — Exploring STEM Education, Digital Transformation in Education, Global Educational Governance, Talent Cultivation Models, International Organization Practices, Chinese Educational Experience, Teacher Education Development, and Future Educational Reform — for presentations and discussions.
Thematic Exchange: Walking Together on the Academic Journey — Graduate Students’ Study and Life
The thematic exchange was held on the evening of June 14, hosted by Xing Mengxiao from Shanghai Normal University. Gao Ya from Anhui Normal University, Lu Yuzheng from Zhejiang University, Shi Keyuan from East China Normal University, Pan Baocheng from Shanghai Normal University, and Wang Chao from Shanghai Normal University discussed issues such as PhD life, use of research tools, and paper publication with on-site students. The five students shared their learning experiences and life insights, advising everyone to maintain lifelong learning ability and resilience, be good at self-directed learning and recording, accept failure and grow from it, lay a solid foundation and make use of research tools, and communicate sincerely and effectively with supervisors. The students present were deeply inspired and encouraged.
Shicheng Interview
On the afternoon of June 15, the Shicheng Interview themed Women·Youth·Academia was held at Shicheng Lecture Hall of the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre. Associate Professor Liu Huacong from the Centre for Educational Leadership and Policy Research, School of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Assistant Professor Zheng Gaoming from the Sino-European Higher Education Cooperation Research Centre, Institute of Higher Education, Tongji University; and Associate Professor Bian Cui from the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre were invited as representatives of young female scholars to discuss the integrated development of women, youth, and academia. The event was hosted by Zhang Yunji, a PhD candidate from Shanghai Normal University.
The interview focused on themes such as women’s roles in the workplace, growth paths of young researchers, and in-depth exploration of academic research. Combining their own experiences and perspectives, the three young female scholars provided valuable advice to the master’s and PhD students present, helping them gain a deeper understanding of the research life of university researchers and the practical issues they face. Through the sharing of the three researchers, students not only received valuable academic guidance but also felt the unique charm and strength of women in the workplace.
Closing Ceremony
The closing ceremony was held on the afternoon of June 15 at Shicheng Lecture Hall on the 2nd floor of the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre, hosted by Associate Professor Song Jia. In the award presentation session, six outstanding papers selected by the external review expert group were announced, authored by Yin Wenxuan from Hunan Agricultural University, Chen Zhijuan from Nanjing University, Zhu Jiawen from Shanghai Normal University, Qin Yuxuan from Hunan University, Li Qinghao from East China Normal University, and Zhang Feng. Professor Wang Jie presented them with certificates of merit.
Professor Wang Jie, Vice Dean of the Institute of International and Comparative Education at Shanghai Normal University, delivered the closing speech for the forum. She reviewed each session of the forum in detail, particularly praising the innovative format of the Women·Youth·Academia event, and fully affirmed and encouraged every student who actively participated. With the successful conclusion of this forum, we eagerly look forward to welcoming more students next year to share and exchange their academic insights.
